Hide-fleshing machine.



No. 719,773. PATBNTED FEB. 3, 1903. 0. F. PEIX.

HIDE FLESHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1902.

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W7 PM ewe a No. 719,773. PATENTED FEB. 3, 1903.

0. F. FEIX.

, HIDE FLESHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1902.

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THE mama versus coy, PHOTO LIT 10.. WASHINGTON, o, n

UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

OTTO FELIX FEIX, OF GLOVERSVILLE, NEW YORK.

HlDE-FLESHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 719,77 3, dated February3, 1903.

Application filed March 25, 1902.

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, OTTO FELIX FEIX,a citizen of the United States,residing at Gloversville, in the county of Fulton and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Hide-Fleshing Machine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel hidefleshing machine.

The fleshing of hides--that is to say, the removal of the fleshyparticles from their inner sidesis usually accomplished by pressing thehide in a wet condition against the surface of a rapidly-revolvingemery-wheel. In order to prevent the burning or other injury of thehide, it is pressed against the surface of the wheel by utilizing theyielding pressure of the hand of the operator. This fleshing operationis exceedingly tedious, la borious, and expensive, however, because thepalm of the hand covers an area of only three or four inches, and thisarea is all that is subjected to the fleshing operation at any giventime.

The object of my invention is to produce a machine which will subject avery much larger area of the hide.to practically the same treatmentobtained by manual fleshing, the pressure being of ayieldingnature andthe stroke of the pressing element being in all respects similar to thehand-stroke of the skilled operator.

A further object of the invention is to provide for either a double or asingle stroke that is to say, a stroke with the pressing element inpressing contact with the hide during its movement in both directions orin one direction only, accordingly as the hide is heavy or light.

A further object is to provide great nicety of adjustment to secure justthat compres sion which is best adapted to the successful treatment ofthe particular hide operated upon.

Still further objects of the invention are to provide means forsharpening, truing, and cleaning the emery-wheel during its operationand simple and effective mechanism for holding the hide in its tautorstretched condition while being operated upon.

Various other objects subordinate to those enumerated will hereinaftermore fully ap- Serial No. 99.982. (N0 model.)

pear as the necessity for their accomplishment is developed in thesucceeding description of the preferred form ofmy invention, which forthe purposes of this application I have illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and succinctly claimed hereinafter.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of my fieshing-machinecomplete. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is an end view ofthe machine with the presserframe thrown back in dotted lines. Fig. 4 isa transverse sectional view. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the presserproper. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the presser-holder. Fig. 7 is adetail sectional view on the line 7 7 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a detailperspective View of one of the end members of the presser-frame, andFig. 9 is a similar view looking from the opposite side.

Like numerals of reference are employed to designate correspondingpartsthroughout the views.

The emery-wheel l is mounted upon a horizontal shaft 2, journaled insuitable bearings 3 at the opposite ends of a stand 4.. The wheelpreferably, though not necessarily, has a transversely convex peripheryand is rotated at the desired rate of speed by the application of powerfrom any suitable source to the shaft 2 through the medium of apower-pulley 5 and belting. (Not illustrated.) In front of the wheel isdisposed, as best shown in Fig.2, a vertical guard or feed-board 6,0verthe upper edge of which the hide '7 is led and carried over and aroundone side of the wheel 1 with the fleshy side in contact with said Wheel.Ordinarily the operator places his hand upon the hide with justsufficient pressure and draws it down around a segment of the wheel witha quick stroke, this operation being repeated until the entire surfaceof the hide has been freed of all fleshy particles by the operation ofthe emery-wheel. Myinvention is designed to provide a mechanical deviceto be used in lieu of the hand, but in substantially the same manner,and subjecting a comparatively large surface of the hide to treatment atone time. The apparatus comprehends the employment of a pair ofstretching-frames 8 and 9, supported beyond the opposite ends of theemerywheel as, for instance, by being bolted to the stand 4 and securedto the bearing supporting uprights 10, in which the bearings 3 areformed. These stretching-frames each comprise in addition to thesupporting parts thereof an arcuate member 11, substantially concentricwith the wheel and provided upon its outer edge with a rubber or otherflexible strip 12. The hide is imposed against this yielding surface ofthe stretching-frames and is held firmly thereon by the end members 13and 14 of what I shall term a presser-frame. This presser-frame besidesserving to hold the hide in place constitutes a support and guide for amovable presser 15, designed in a manner to be described to press thehide upon the emery-Wheel with a yielding pressure and to have a strokesimilar to the hand-stroke of an operator skilled in this character ofwork. The presserframe comprises the two end members 13 and 14 ofarcuate form, as shown, and connected by a connecting-bar 16, whichunites the parts in a rigid frame hinged at its lower edge upon brackets17, carried by the stand 4. The hinged connection (indicated at 18) isoffset beyond the lower end of the presser-frame, so that when thelatter is tilted back to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig.3 the hide will be released to permit of its being drawn forward for thepurpose of presenting a new surface to the wheel and to permit of theinsertion of a new hide when necessary. The inner edges of the framemembers 13 and 14, or those portions of said edges disposed opposite thestretching-frame, are provided with rubber or other flexible strips 19,similar to the strips 12, so that the hide when clamped in place will beheld between yielding surfaces to prevent possible injury to the pelt.The position of the presserframe relative to the wheel in the normal oroperative relation of the parts is regulated by adjusting devices,preferably in the form of adjusting or gage screws 20 and 21, carried bythe stretching-frames and disposed to act as gages for thepresser-frame. By the adjustment of these gage-screws the normalposition of the presser-frame is determined, and as the presser isguided by the frame the adjustment of these screws will also gage thepressure to be exerted upon'the hide by the presser.

We now come to a consideration of the construction and operation of thepresser and the manner in which it is guided in the presserframe andoperated to execute either a single or double stroke, according to thenature of the hide under treatment. The presser proper is preferablycomposed of solid pieces of rubber, although other yielding materialmight be substituted therefor, and has its active surface 22 properlyshaped to conform to the surface of the wheel. The presser is mountedwithin a presser-holder 23, having the form of an open-sided boxprovided with trunnions 2t and with set-screws 25, screwed through thewalls of the box or holder 23 and engaging the rubber presser toadjustably retain the latter in the holder. It will be obvious that byreason of this adjustable retention of the presser the pressure thereofupon the hide may be regulated by its individual adjustment as well asby the adjustment of the gage-screws 20 and 21. The trunnions 24 of thepresser-holder 23 extend into arcuate guideways 26, formed in the inneror opposed side faces of the members 13 and 14 of the presser-frame.These arc uate guideways are each divided by a medial longitudinalpartition 27, defining inner and outer guidegrooves 28 and 29 andterminating short of the opposite ends of the Way. At the opposite endsof each partition are pivoted guideblocks 30 and 31, having their freeends normally urged toward the inner and outer walls, respectively, ofthe end members 13 and 14. The trunnions 24 of the presser-holder arereceived within the guide-grooves at the opposite ends of thepresser-frame and are connected to the upper ends of links or pitmen 32,pivoted at their lower ends, as indicated at 33, to a treadle 34,mounted upon the shaft 35, extending lengthwise of the stand adjacent tothe bottom thereof. At the front end of the treadle 34: is located afoot-bar 36, upon which the foot of the operator is placed for thepurpose of operating the treadle to effect the reciprocatory movement ofthe presser in an arcuate path, the retraction of the treadle beingeffected by means of retracting-springs 37, mounted in the usual manner,as shown in Fig. 1.. When the foot-bar is depressed, the swinging of thetreadle will cause the presser to move in an arcuate path with theyielding surface of the presser proper in contact with the hide. As thepresser reaches one limit of its movement the trunnions 24 will lift andpass under the guide-blocks 30, which blocks, after the trunnions havepassed beyond their free ends, will drop back to their initial positionsand will guide'the trunnions into the outer grooves 29, so that theretraction of the presser-that is to say, its movement to its initialposition-will be effected with the yielding pressing-surface held out ofcontact with the hide. In like manner the blocks 31 willguide thepresser into the inner grooves, and the stroke will be repeated as oftenas is necessary to the proper fleshing of the hide under treatment. If,however, it should be desired to impart a double stroke to thepresser-that is to say, if in the treatment of a heavyhide it isdesirable to have the presser bear upon the hide during both movementsit is simply necessary to move the guideblocks 30 out of their normalpositions, so that the trunnions will not pass over and under theseblocks in the manner heretofore described. The retention of the blocks30 in their inoperative positions to permit of a double stroke of thepresser is effected by means of pivoted detents 38, mounted upon theouter sides of the members 13 and 14 and arranged to be swung underprojecting portions of the guide-blocks, as shown in Fig. 8. Obviouslywhen the presser is utilized for a IIO double stroke it moves back andforth with the trunnions 24 traveling in the grooves 26 only, themovement of the presser in one direction being efiected by foot or otherpower and in the opposite direction under the impulse of theretracting-spring. It is evident, however, that the presser might bepositively driven in both directions by the application of suitablepower, and that it is immaterial which Way the presser moves during asingle stroke, as it is obvious that the emery-wheel may be rotated ineither direction, and that therefore the described movement of thepresser may be reversed without changin g the effect of the treatment,so far as the effect upon the hide is concerned.

For the purpose of keeping the emery-wheel true and in order to cleanthe same and restore the surface I provide what may be termed a truingdevice, comprising a truing-stone 39, shaped to conform to the opposedsurface of the emery-wheel and mounted within a suitable holder 40. iThe holder 40 is mounted at the upper ends of a pair of standards 41,having their lower ends pivoted to the treadle 34, as indicated at 42.The relative proportions of the parts are such that whenever the presseris moved to the upper end of its stroke the stone 39 will be broughtinto momentary contact with the emery-wheel by the swinging of thetreadle.

Briefly the operation of the machine is as follows: The hide to betreated is passed over the upper edge of the guard and feed-board 6andis passed back over the emery-wheel. The presser-frame, which duringthe application of the hide has been located in the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 3, will now be swung toward the emery-wheel toclamp the hide securely against the stretching-frames, located beyondthe opposite ends of the wheel. The treadle is now operated, andthepresser, bearing yieldingly upon the hide and extending from end toend of the wheel, is caused to move over the surface of the hide for aconsiderable distance and presses a comparatively large area of the hideagainst the emery-wheel in much the same manner as the hand of a skilledoperator presses a very small portion of the hide against the wheel toeffect the detachment of the fleshy particles. When the machine isoperated with a single strokeas,for instance, in treating lighthides-the presser is guided into the outer groove 29 and during its re:tractile movement exerts no pressure whatever upon the hide. When,however, a heavy hide is treated, the guide-blocks 30 are held back inthe manner heretofore described and the presser will be held in contactwith the hide during both its forward and backward movement. When thatportion of the hide defined within the limits of the stroke of thepresser has been properly fleshed, the presserframe is swung back to thedotted position indicated in Fig. 3, the hide is drawn forward topresent another portion thereof between the wheel and presser,and thedescribed operation is repeated.

From the foregoing it will appear that I have produced a simple,durable, and effective hide-fieshing machine for quickly andinexpensively fieshing hides without'the usual expenditure ofmanuallabor and eflecting a mode of treatment practically identical withthat received by the hide when fieshedby a skilled operator; but whilethe present embodiment of the invention appears at this time to bepreferable I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to thestructural details defined, as, on the contrary, I reserve the right toefiect such changes, modifications, and variations of the illustratedstructure as may be properly embraced within the scope of the protectionprayed.

What I claim is- 1. In a hide-fieshing machine, the combination with amovable fieshing member, of a relatively yielding presser disposed in006perative relation therewith and movable over the surface of saidmember to press a hide into effective contact therewith.

2. In abide-fieshing machine, the combination with a fieshing-wheel, ofa presser disposed to press ahide against the surface of the wheel, andmeans for imparting movement to the presser in a path concentric withthe wheel.

3. In a hide-fieshing attachment, the combination with a fieshing-wheel,of a yielding presser disposed to press a hide against the Wheel, andmeans for moving the presser over the hide to press different portionsthereof posed to press the hide against the wheel,

means for moving the presser in opposite directions in a path concentricwith the wheel, and means for holding the presser out of effectivecontact with the hide during its movement in one direction.

6. In a hide-fieshing machine, the combination with a fieshing-wheel, ofa presser arranged to press the hide against the wheel, means for movingthe presser in opposite directions, and an adjustable device for causingthe presser to be retained in contact with the hide during its movementin both directions, or during its movement in one direction only, asdesired.

7. In a hide-fieshing machine, the combination with a fieshing-wheel, ofan arcuate presser-frame, a presser mounted for movement in the frameand arranged to press a hide against the wheel, and means for oper atingthe presser.

&

8. In a hide-fleshing machine, the combination with a fleshingwheel, ofan arcuate presser-frame provided with guide-grooves, a presser providedwith trunnions engaging the grooves, and means for operating thepresser.

9. In a hide-fleshing machine, the combination with a fieshing wheel, ofan arcuate presser-frame comprising end members each provided withlaterallyspaced grooves, a presser provided with trunnions extended intothe guide-grooves of the presser-frame, means for guiding the trunnionsthrough different guide-grooves as the presser is moved in difierentdirections, and means for operating the presser.

10. In a hide-fieshing machine, the combination with a fleshing-wheel,of an arcuate presser-frame comprising end members havingguideways intheirinner faces,alongitudinally-disposed partition dividing said guideways into laterally-spaced grooves, a movable guide-block mounted at oneend of each partition, means for adjusting the positions of theguide-blocks, a presser having trunnions disposed to move within theguide-grooves of the presser-frame, and means for operating the presser.

11. In a hide-fleshing machine, the combination with a fieshing-wheel,of an arcuate presser-frame comprising end members having guidewaysformed in their opposed faces, longitudinally-disposed partitionsdividing said guideways into laterally-spaced guidegrooves,guide-blockslocated at opposite ends of said partitions, means forretaining the guide-blocks in different positions, a presser providedwith tr'unnions movable within the guide-grooves and means for operatingthe presser.

12. In a hide-fleshing machine, the combination with a fleshing-wheel,of stretchingframes disposed beyond the opposite ends thereof, apresser-frame disposed to clamp the hide against the stretching-frames,and a movable presser guided in its movements by the presser-frame anddisposed to press the hide into effective contact with thefleshingwheel.

13. In a hide-fleshing machine, the combination with a fleshing-wheel,of stretchingframes located at the opposite ends thereof,

a hinged presser-frame extended around one side of the wheel anddisposed to clamp a hide upon the stretching-frames, a yielding pressermovably carried by the presser-frame, and means for causing the presserto travel around a portion of the wheel for the purpose of pressing thehide into contact therewith.

14. In a hide-fieshing machine, the combination with a fieshing-wheel,and an arcuate presser-frame hinged at its lower end and movable towardand from the wheel, of a presser movably mounted in the presserframe anddesigned to move around one side of the wheel to press the hide incontact therewith, and means for operating the presser.

15. In a hide-fleshing attachment, the combination with afieshing-wheel, of a movable presser-frame, a gage device forpositioning the presser-frame with respect to the wheel, and a pressermovable within the presserframe.

16. In a hide-fleshing attachment, the combination with afleshing-wheel, of a movable presser-frame, a gage device for adjustably positioning the presser-frame with respect to the wheel, apresser movable within the presser-frame to press different portions ofthe hide against the wheel, and also adjustable toward and from thewheel, and means for securing the presser in its individuallyadjustedpositions. 7

17. In a hide-fieshing machine, the combination with a fieshing-wheel,of stretchingframes located at the opposite ends thereof and providedwith yielding facings, a presserframe comprising end members havingyielding strips opposed to the facings of the stretching-frames, apresser movable within the presser-frame and designed to press the hideinto effective contact with the fleshingwheel, and means for operatingthe presser.

18. In ahide-fleshing machine, the combination with a fieshing-wheel,and means for holding a hide stationary opposite the wheel, of anelastic presser disposed to press the hide against the Wheel and movableover the surface of said hide.

19. In a hide-fieshing machine, the combination with a fieshing-wheeland a pressingframe, of a presser-holder movably mounted in the frame,operating means connected to the holder, and a yielding presser mountedwithin the holder.

20. In a hide-fleshing machine, the combination with a fleshing-wheeland a swinging presser-frame, of a presser movable within thepresser-frame and partly around the wheel, a treadle operativelyconnected to the presser, and means for retracting the treadle.

21. In a hide-fleshing machine, the combination with a fieshing-wheel,of a guard-board and a presser-frame disposed at opposite sides of thewheel, a movable presser mounted within the presser-frame and disposedto press a hide against the wheel, and means for operating the presser.

22. In a hide-fleshing machine, the combination with a movable fieshingmember, of a presser movable over the surface of the member to press ahide in effective contact therewith, said presser being movable inopposite directions, and means for automatically relieving the pressureupon the hide during the movement of the presserin one direction.

23. In a hide-fieshing machine, the combination with a fleshing-wheel,of a presser disposed to press a hide against the wheel, means formoving the presser in opposite directions in a path concentric with theWheel, and means for automatically moving the presser out of effectivecontact with the hide at the limit of its movement in one direction andfor retaining the presser in such ineffective position during itsmovement in the opposite direction.

24. In a hide-fieshing machine, the combination with a fleshing-wheel,of a presser arranged to press a hide against the Wheel, means formoving the presser in opposite directions over the surface of the hide,and a device for automatically retaining the presser out of contact withthe hide during its movement in one direction, said device beingadjustable to permit the presser to remain in effective contact with thehide duringits movement in both directions.

25. In a hide-fieshing machine, the combination with a fleshing-Wheel,and a presserframe, of a presser holder movable in the frame in a pathconcentric with the fleshingwheel, means for operating the holder, and apresser mounted in the holder and arranged to yield locally toaccommodate inequalities in the hide.

26. In a hide-fleshing machine, the combination with a fieshing-wheel,of a presser movable in a path concentric with the wheel to press a hidethereon, a truing device disposed for intermittent contact with thewheel, and operating means common to the presser and truing device, saidoperating means being arranged to present the truing device to' thewheel when the presser reaches one limit of its movement. i

27. In a hide-fleshing machine, the combination with a fleshing-Wheel,of a presser movable in a path concentric with the wheel to press a hidethereon, a truing device disposed for intermittent contact with theWheel, and a treadle common to the presser and truing device, saidtreadle being arranged to present the truing device to the wheel whenthe presser reaches one limit of its movement.

28. In a hide-fieshing machine, the combi nation with a fieshing member,of a movable presser-frame disposed to hold a hide in position oppositethe fleshing member, and a presser mounted in the presser-frame andhaving bodily movement over the surface of the hide.

29. In a hide-fleshing machine, the combination with a fieshing member,of a movable presser-frame disposed to hold a hide stationary inposition opposite the fleshing member, and an inherently-yieldingpresser mounted in the presser-frame and having bodily movement over thesurface of the hide.

30. In a hide-fleshing machine, the combination with afleshing-wheel,and means for holding a hide stationary opposite the wheel, of aninherently -yielding presser movable over the surface of the hide topress different portions thereof into contact with the Wheel.

31. In a hide-fieshing machine, the combination with a fleshing-wheel,and a presserframe disposed to hold a hide taut opposite the wheel, of apresser movable over the surface of the hide to press different portionsthereof into contact with the wheel, and guiding means for retaining thepresser in effective contact with thehide during its movement in onedirection and for retaining said presser out of contact with the hideduring its movement in the opposite direction.

32. In a hide-fleshing machine, the combination with a fleshing-wheel,and means for rotating the same continuously in one direc- I tion, ofmeans for holding a hide taut opposite the wheel, and a presser movablein opposite directions in a path concentric with the wheel.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OTTO FELIX FEIX.

Witnesses:

NICHOLAS M. BANKER, EZRA A. SUTLIFF.

